Her Prey
by LurkxReptile
Summary: What happens when a human male encounters a female yautja/predator that sees him as more than just prey.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: This is my first A.v.P story so constructive criticism is needed. The writing style is inspired by Official-Tarian. The couple is inspired by the story: _Dark Waters written by dtechie84. The story also_ uses_ themes from Predators._ This is my first try at an explicit romantic scene and I do welcome any help on making this more romantic, flames will be ignored. This is actually a one-shot(at least for now). Because it is supposed to be romantic, there are no vulgar words involved nor will there ever be. Other than that enjoy and r&r, thanks.**

Fear. The only emotion he could feel while he sat around his camp fire, curled in a ball and shivering to keep warm. His clothes were in tatters and not providing the proper heat retention he so desperately needed and every breeze that blew by only caused goose bumps to crawl across every pore of his body. He had to keep warm, he knew that very well. But trekking through a jungle that he had never been in was not a wise choice when looking for dry wood for a fire.

Somehow he had come across a downed tree that had already dried, the limbs that he could carry were not thick enough to last all night, but they would do for a small time.

_At least to dry off and warm myself up._ He had thought.

That was what he had hoped for. Nightfall was already upon him and he had wasted yet another day at fleeing from far away as he could from anything that could have been lurking…or watching him from when he was transported to this planet.

The orange and yellow flames crackled and popped sending sparks into the cool air. It brought ease to his mind, the sounds of this lantern in the night was soothing to his ears and gave him a sense of comfort as he was enveloped with the silence of the strange jungle.

He had been singularly chosen amongst a lottery of thousands of people who names where entered into this ballet to be sent as tribute to _them. _It was a sad day for one, but a relief for his entire world as someone was chosen to come to this jungle, this _game preserve_. He had been quickly take and given a military combat knife and a spare change of clothes, before he was pushed through the transports portal and flung onto the wet jungle floor of the receiving planet.

Back then he was almost immediately attacked by some… _thing. _He could not catch a glimpse of his attacker, but seeing twin, circular blades zing right by his face did not help at all. He had then ran for his life. He also dropped his extra clothing, but the knife hung tightly from the loops around his belt.

Once in a tremendous distance from his first ambush, he then began to do what his father had taught him when he was young. His father, being a Marine, had showed him many different ways to build makeshift traps out of sturdy woods, and so he did just that. He began to build many different traps, setting them up elaborately across his trails.

That was only on day one. How many days had passed now, he did not know. In those coming days, he had done some reconnaissance for water and a supply for food. Sadly there were no streams and the animals he came across were so foreign that he had not dared kill anything, let alone try and capture something for food. Luckily though, it rained every day and there were many large leafed plants that held ample supplies of water for his thirst.

Somehow though, he had survived for a while now on water alone. His body had already consumed most of his reserved body fats and his muscles were beginning to become strained with every passing day that he did not consume the proper amount of calories.

_I really do miss cheeseburgers. _He groaned as his stomach rumbled, craving for food.

Suddenly though, his luck had seemed to run dry like his firewood. For no longer had his stomach growled had a red triple dot appeared straight between his eyes and the sound of rustling bushes startled him to attention.

* * *

She had been watching him for a while. Studying and learning his routines and ticks, going over individual strategies of ways in which to take down her prey. He was young and foolish, while she had years of intense training and constant drilling for trials. So it was not that difficult to track his movements, he always left foot traces that she followed.

_This is not even going to be any fun at all. _She sniveled.

At first it seemed as if he would be an easy kill, not even worth more than a couple minutes of her time. It was a deep gash to her very being that the _Ooman Leaders _would send her only one young adult, male ooman to hunt when she could easily slaughter more than five at one time. She was a proud yautja kv'var-de-si (huntress) that was here to bring honor to her clan and pride to her barer by claiming trophies. This was her first hunt in many years and was a test to prove her worth among the other clan members, the council and the High Matron. And when she had seen the young male, it flabbergasted her to no end.

What she could not even foresee was the male dodging her twin blades and dashing off into the jungle. It only added to her discontent of the situation. So she scaled the trees and switched her mask's vision to its thermal detection and quickly picked up on the oomans trail. She could tell by the length of each print and heat dissipation was that this ooman was either very smart or very stupid. He was running blind into the jungle that was even full of things she did not know of and seemed to have no intentions of slowing down. It would only take about twenty minutes before he would be gasping for air and that would be when she would strike. She could then return to her clan and demand another request to hunt on this game preserve.

She was equipped with the standard technology for a yautja. Things such as her wrist blades, spear and her shoulder gauntlet that only had one shot. The rest of her clan's weapons was to be left behind on her ship. This was a trial to determine if she could think on her feet with minimal weaponry and little to no armor other than her mask.

To make it more of a challenge she returned her mask's vision and proceeded to stalk her prey with a more lenient approach to see if she could keep this little game of cat and mouse going for maybe an hour at least, then he would be slain.

It was not until she was surprised by his first booby trap, that she became a little bit more excited and thrilled. She had almost been pierced through her legs and stuck to a tree that was close by. Her hearts rate began to increase and her mind became more interested in this oomans strategy. It was a question of why he was running away, he knew as well as she that this was a fight to the death. Why would he waste his last minutes hiding in his own urine rather than sweating and gloriously oozing blood as their blades clashed until finally he would be slain? It was a much more honorable way of death.

Her interest in this ooman began to increase with each new and elaborately placed trap. Sometimes they were on the ground, some in trees. While others were dug and covered with leaves. It amazed her at how adaptable he was to his environment in such short periods of time.

The days began to pass as she slowly began to creep closer to him, her blood lust was building and she could not wait much longer to release everything she had on this ooman. She realized that he would be a great trophy for her collection of heads. His skills at building defenses and tricky traps made him worth the wait until she could finally hold his severed head in her own hands.

It was an evening before the sun set when she finally discovered his current hideout. She stood in the trees and watched him as he made his preparations for nightfall. As she did, something inside her grew warm. It started off as a slow little gurgle in her stomach, but was soon spreading to her brain and also her lower regions. Which was strange. It caught her off guard when she felt herself become slightly moist with sweat, her breathing and chest felt slightly heavier and her thoughts had grown to be unruly acts that she could perform on this interesting ooman. It frazzled her to attention. She was becoming aroused for some unknown reason from this male ooman. This caused to her to become agitated with herself. She was here to kill this strange ooman and yet her she was thinking about such things that only mates in heat were allowed to perform.

She rolled it off and focused on the male. He was carrying wood for obviously a fire. His clothing was also torn in many places and she could even see small remnants of blood that had seeped through and stain his clothing. He was completely drenched in either water or sweat, she could not tell which. It brought out his more predominate features.

He had a slim build being no more than six feet tall, with slightly muscular shoulders and torso and medium legs. He had also had dark brown hair and if she would enhance the range of her mask, she would see that he also had dark chocolate brown eyes that matched his hair.

She could not really tell if female oomans would consider him attractive at all. He was definitely no yatjua male. Males were shorter than her and her sisters, but they stood over most oomans. They were full of stubborn pride and could only brought back into composer from their mates. Their shoulders were wide and had muscular frames that could make even the most muscular male ooman jealous.

So now raised the question.

_Why am I so enthralled by this ooman? All of my ancestors have deemed them as lowly creatures that were only meant for hunting or birthing kiande amedha (hard meats). They do not even deserve a second glance and yet I stare at one now with lustful eyes. I must becoming soft that is only answer._

She tried to ponder on this matter, but the more she tried the more she became confused. She had to cool her head somehow to try and re-asses her situation regarding the ooman.

It was not until after nightfall had she returned to her spot. She then re-focused her on her goal and concentrated on studying the oomans habits. He now looked quite pitiful, with puffy, red eyes, and sweat drenched body that was slowly beginning to shiver. He looked so lonely. Which only brought up new feelings to her.

She was lonely too. No male had looked her way in years, she was still quite young for her age to take a mate, but in the time of rutting season she had become quite frustrated with the males. This year was no different, the season was coming and she would most likely spend it alone again. It seemed that because she was on the same level as most males, they did not deem her approachable for an invitation. Some had even openly said that it was her pride that drove them elsewhere.

_Perhaps they were right. I am unapproachable because of my pride over all of my trophies I have acquired over the years. _

Even if she admitted this, it did not help her win over any male yautja. She had soon began questioning if she would ever find a mate to bring her own spawn into the world. She was again brought out of her thoughts when the crowing of a nearby poultry had shaken the jungles silence. She then heard shuffling from below and caught site of the ooman curling closer to himself and his stomach had begun to let loose a loud and quite embarrassing rumble.

She was suddenly filled with mixed emotions, on one side was amusement and on the other was a revival of excitement. It caused her to think quickly about what she wanted and what she really needed.

_Perhaps…just for tonight, we could comfort each other._

She then quickly jumped to the ground near some close bushes.

_I know he will be afraid at first, but with the right incentive even this male will become aroused and will satisfy my needs_.

With her mind made up, she raised her shoulder gauntlet and placed its red sights on the male oomans head.

* * *

He watched as his assailant revealed itself from its concealment. What really surprised him at first was that it was definitely female by two obvious features that were on its chest. She was taller than he was, probably being between seven and eight feet tall. Her body was ripped with muscles, but she still retained a feminine charm with her rounded breasts and slightly widened hips.

She hid her face with some sort of metal mask and seemed to have braided dreadlocks that went down behind her muscular shoulders. With it being dark, her skin tone could not be confirmed. She was dressed in what appeared to be a scantly styled leather sports bra, covered with something like a fishnet. Her lower region was covered by a belted loin cloth. Her clothing did not leave much to the imagination, but showed more than enough for fantasies…which he was not thinking about. This was his assailant after all. Instead it seemed that her clothing choices were made for her agility and probably for camouflage if needed.

Her weapons on the other hand were very impressive in terms of how far more advanced her technology was. She had a blade strapped to her right wrist, a staff or spear on her back and some sort of canon connected on her shoulder. She was not someone that you wanted to mess with and it was safe to presume that this tall woman was probably also the one who had tried to kill him moments of his arrival.

_But why did she reveal herself to me. _He thought.

With all of her weapons and obvious brute strength, it was clear to him that if he tried to attack, she would kill him instantly. So he just sat there in silence and stared up at the alien female. The silence was horribly awkward, with only the sounds of the remains of his popping fire to aluminate his camp.

When she suddenly moved her left arm to remove her mask, he had nearly had a heart attack as he scrambled to his feet with this knife ready for a brawl. This caused the female to pause, but only for a second. She then removed her mask, the silver metal unlatched and made a gasping sound as air was released from inside. Her mask fell to the ground, revealing her facial features.

He could not say that she probably had one of the most grotesque faces he had ever seen. She had a massive, bald forehead and where her mouth appeared to be stood something like mandibles. What really surprised him the most was her eyes. It was then that he finally knew what species she was. He had even seen pictures of the males which were even more grotesque. The males eyes where in caved in their skull sockets, but this female did have such eyes. Instead her eyes sat even with her face.

What happened next really threw him for a loop. She began to drop her weapons and also…her clothing. This seemed almost to be an erotic dance of some sort, she began to writhe and sway her hips as each bit clothing swiveled down her body revealing her hidden treasures to him. He could not take his eyes off of her form.

He had to admit that when all of her coverings were off, she looked…beautiful in a way. The fire light gave her this glowing charm that seemed to capture his attention as he looked at her curvaceous body over and over again. To say he was aroused was too embarrassing, but she did not seem to have any shame in what she was doing.

After that, it was all he could do to contain his youthful hormones. She had lowered herself to the ground and proceeded to show him the most wonderful part of her body. She was sitting on the ground and spreading her legs, revealing all and inviting him to come and dance in the pleasure that was her body.

He could not stand it. It was probably embarrassing to say that he had very little dating experience, let alone the acts that went on in the bedroom when two people became one flesh. It was harder still to open up to women his age, most were either taken or too stuck up to even look his way. But now here he was on a foreign planet with a deadly species that was now offering herself to him. As if this was some sort of courtship that could go downhill in a hurry and if he messed up it could completely end up causing him to die a horrible, bloody death which was not in his best interest.

His emotions were running in all different directions. Parts of his brain told him to just run away. His life depended on staying away from this women at all cost. She was a deadly species that had killed many humans. There was even a possible war that was only months from happening until the lottery became the solution. Yet the other part told him that it was ok to get close to her and delve in the pleasure of with this women that was offering a once in a life time opportunity.

_What am I going to do? _He groaned.

* * *

She had done it, she now stood in front the ooman and was not wasting any moments. Right after showing herself, she had let him sink in her form for a few moments. When she felt it was time to make her move, she had proceeded to take her mask off and the male had recoiled in obvious wariness of her actions. It amused her to watch him stumble to his feet. But once he did, she knew there was no turning back at this point. It would be what it would be.

When she revealed her face, she had expected him to jump back in shock of her facial features. For years her species had heard that they were some very ugly aliens. Most of this gossip had come from oomans and those soon were done away with. It surprised her at the very least when he did not even make a sound. His eyes even showed a slight spark which seemed to urge her to move on.

She then removed her wrist blade, gauntlet and spear. When it came time to start undressing, she got the idea to make him even more interested and excited was to show off a little. While she began to remove her clothing, she moved to a rhythm of silent music that her people used when performing a cultural dance to tempt males to rut with them. It seemed to work because as she took each peice off, his eyes were in a constant movement as they scanned her form. He seemed very impressed and it gave her even more encouragement to tempt this male into what she wanted to do next.

After her clothing was completely removed, now came the important part that would sell this invitation and would seal his fate in returning her actions. She lowered herself to the warm ground and leaned back on a fallen tree and revealed her most intimate part. She spread her legs to make him look at her, letting him see if he would respond to her request.

_Please respond, I need this…I need you._

* * *

His decision was sealed. She had offered and he accepted. He dropped his knife and proceeded to remove his own clothing. Showing off his broad chest and muscular frame. His heart was pounding madly as he removed his pants and revealed his arousal to her. To say he was well endowed was a straight up lie though he was not small either, it still caused his cheeks to redden and he had to turn away in complete embarrassment. Doubt had filled his mind, he was unsure of how he was he supposed answer her call?

_She has seen me… _he thought.

When he turned back and opened his eyes, it utterly shocked him that she had not moved. Instead it looked as if his display was causing her to become even more aroused. Her stomach was convulsing with heavy breathing and her most precious part was beginning to pulse in need of his…member. This gave him a much needed relief and maybe even some confidence in himself to continue this strange courtship.

He could not keep her waiting anymore, it was now or never so he went to her. First getting on his knees and inching closer to her. He started this way to see what she would do. He could feel her warm breath on his cheeks, which made him blush even more at the proximity. She responded by bringing her clawed hands around his head and bringing him to her face. It was a kind of shock when her mandibles opened wide revealing, four sharp teeth and engulfed most of his lower face. Her saliva coated his chin and lower cheeks.

_Is this a kiss? _He thought.

He got his answer when her tongue, that felt thinner and longer than his own, began to swipe at his lips asking for entrance. He responded by opening and weaving his own tongue with hers as they both began to taste and explore each other. His tongue was nowhere close to being long enough to reach into her mouth, but he did weave and roll his tongue over hers which she responded to by doing to the same. She surprisingly tasting sweet and slightly bitter. They spent several more minutes gorging their selves in each other's mouths, fighting for dominance, though she was clearly more skilled than he was.

It was then that she moved one of her clawed hands down his smooth back and pulled his frame into her, mashing her breasts to his chest. Needing air, she released his mouth and both began to heave in needed gasps. After taking several breaths he finally noticed how close he really was to her. He could feel that her skin was soft in some areas and rough in others. An example was that her hands were roughly callused while her gorgeous breast were soft. When he saw her breasts being so close, he really could not help himself.

He left her mandibles and proceed to leave soft kisses on her neck, earning him a small squirm from her. When he reached her breasts. His breaths became even heavier as he engulfed one her mounds in his mouth and massaged the other by pressing firmly and rolling all of the flesh in his palm. He started to softly suckle on her nipple and in turn caused him to feel her shiver and it urged him to continue. After a few minutes, he switched to make sure that her other breast got the same amount of attention. This seemed to earn him more gasps and what seemed to be purring coming from her throat.

His arousal could not stand any longer, he moved up to meet her eyes which longed for his question.

"Are you ready" he said.

It took only a moment before her eyes shined brightly and her head slightly nodded in approval.

Then he began to press into her. It was so different from anything he had ever experienced with a human woman. Each inch that went into her lips, her walls convulsed and adjusted to his length for maximum pleasure. It felt so good…so right to be inside her. She was warm and silky, though she grasped him firmly. He could feel that she was ready for what was to come, mostly from the wetness that was soaking his member as she convulsed was a big hint.

Then he began to move. First in short small rhythms to get a feel for how she would react. He himself was beginning to feel the waves of pleasure that came with making love. It really relieved him when he found her gasping and purring even louder and was pulling him even closer to her as she wrapped her strong legs around his waist. It made him happy to know that she was really enjoying this moment… as was he. It then became his goal to give her something that he knew he could do if he could only last just a few more minutes. His pleasure was growing more intense with each thrust.

He started to slowly pick up his pace, increasing both of their pleasure to a new height. She was slick now and easy to penetrate which made both of their pleasures even better. She was constantly adjusting and re-adjusting as he thrust into her, it began to make his member tingle as she tried to latch on to him as he exited then re-entered. Something was building inside him and he knew that would not last much longer. So he quickened his thrusts even more intensely driving both of them to their brinks of insanity.

He wanted this moment to last longer, but his excitement was too great, the pleasure to good, she was too amazing and like anything that was good, it was to come to an end. With one final thrust, he ended his performance with a large climax that spilled into her. It caused her to release her own all over his tired member and part of his waist.

Their bodies were soaked in _sweat_ and he could not help but collapse right beside her. He moved back up to her head and wrapped his left arm around her frame as sleep began take him. To say he was happy was not exactly a lie but then again still true, he had done his best and hoped that she would could spare him.

_Maybe…this…could even happen again. _Where his last thoughts before a deep and welcoming sleep took him.

* * *

It made her very relieved, as the tension and her own confidence had begun to dwindle. He was standing there just staring at her bare body, but he quickly seemed to get the message as he began to remove his own clothing.

She quickly began to scan his features that he offered. He was broad shouldered, but had a slim waist and was slightly muscular. When he removed his lower coverings, it did not surprise her to see that he was not up to yautja size, but it calmed her knowing that he would be enough. Seeing his bare form had even began to excite her. He was undiscovered territory and that made her hearts pound with lust and wonder. She could not help herself and even admitted that he was attractive to her and that caused her become moist in her lower region. She could not wait much longer for this ooman, otherwise her patience would falter and she would attack him in way that could bring his death much more different then what she had previously thought.

He seemed to get the message because he came closer to her. He seemed to radiate heat and she could help but bring his face even closer to her own. He had deep brown eyes and his face was soft, mushy, but warm. She needed to taste him, she wanted him to taste her. So she brought him closer and then reached out and kissed him the way mates would. When she let her tongue touch him, he had quickly opened his mouth and began weaving his tongue with her own.

The moment was becoming even more arousing to her as she played with his mouth, exploring and memorizing his sweet taste. She grazed his teeth and was surprised to find mostly flat grinding teeth. She wanted him closer needing to feel his entire body meshing with her own. It brought joy to her when he reacted to her mashed breasts against his chest. He then began to take the lead by laying sweet kisses down her flesh until he came to her breasts.

Never before had someone been so gentle with her body. He was like a newborn child that was trying to extract her milk. It made her shiver and her nipples began to tingle as he gently stroked them with his tongue and palm. When he repeated the same attention to her other breast, it almost brought tears to her prideful eyes. This male was different, she could tell. He paid more attention to her needs rather than his own. All of the males treated her and her sisters like child birthers and nothing more. It was very rare for mates to become truly so intimate that they basked in each other even before delving into the greatest pleasure.

_This male…no…my mate, you truly are one of a kind. _She could bare it no more, she released a tear as her arousal was becoming more than just lust. It was changing and evolving so quickly.

When he stopped his actions and moved back up to face her, he said something that was simple yet so powerful that caused her to bend to him. She did something that was even rarer between mates. She submitted to him. She nodded in her approval for him to mate her. For now and forever.

When he pressed in, it shockingly made her almost climax then and there as heavy amounts of pleasure jolted her core. Her emotions were running on overdrive, yet she wanted this male to continue. To unveil to her how oomans showed affection to their mates.

When he was fully inside her, she could not help but begin gasp out in pleasure and began to purr in bliss. Though he was not up to size, but with all that he had done for her, she could climax, just entering her after their foreplay session had proven that. She could not feel anymore heaven then she could with him thrusting, constantly in and out.

She could already feel her finale approaching and thankfully so was his. His twitching member was quickening and quickening until finally she felt him release his essence into her womb. With her emotional high and the feeling of his life giving seed, she reach orgasm. Releasing everything she had for him, showing that he was truly worthy to be with her.

She was tired and so was he. It made her feel so special indeed when he pulled her closer to him. When he began to sleep, she too could only find satisfied sleep. Before she slipped away, she grasped his hand… his wonderful hand.

* * *

The night would soon grow into morning and choices would have to be made. Even though she considered him her life mate, her clan would never accept him. He would have to either slip away or stay and learn from her and figure out that she could speak his language.

Until then, the two laid there. Even after the fire was out, there was still warmth between their shared bodies. To people from different worlds and species had become one. A bond was formed and nothing would be the same again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: This chapter did not come as naturally as the first one did. I am glad that people are interest in the couple. If you all would like me to write prequel chapters I will, but I won't unless all of you want them. I do not want to keep copying Official-Tarians style for his/her story: Xenomorph x Human. There is still need for constructive critism so I can try and improve in some areas. I do use an online thesaurus, but if it does not help, I will use my book. Other than that Thank you all for you follows, favorites and review. Please continue to support this story with more review and faves/follows. Thanks, R&R enjoy. **

She wanted to stay close to him, to his warmth and to his heart. The bliss that she felt in her post-mating could only be described as the happiness a new barer felt when she had her first pup. If the moment could last, she would stay all day close to him. But her morning habits where calling for her to find the nearest bush. She rolled to the left and sat up on her rump to stretch. Reaching her arms over her head, she let out a much needed morning yawn and blinked the sleep from her eyes. Her afterglow was very obvious just by the way she had woken up clearly in high spirits. She even felt surprisingly tender between her legs. It had truly been a long time, but it was worth it to her.

She stood up and could only stare with the utmost tender affections for her mate. He lied there with his eyes lightly shut and his mouth hung open with slight drool dripping down. The warmth she now felt was unlike anything she had ever felt during all of her other rutting with potential mates. He was special and one of a kind. _And you are all mine_. She thought possessively. Reaching down she could not help but run her hands through his short, thick hair. It kind of tickled her rough hands, but left an oily residue on her palm.

Her dreadlocks could be embarrassingly considered worse off than his own grooming. She did not bathe as often when she hunted. It was common sense to coat one's self in any residue that would neutralize their scent from any unwanted detection. Her dreadlocks were overdue for cleansing and she would not stand to walk around with her mate having dust filled, oily locks of hair. She knew that to act as a true mate should, she needed to stay well groomed especially in front of him.

She had once heard that her own barer had bathed three times before courting her mate. As a female, it was not only considered wise, but important to show males that you not only could hunt, but also maintain a state of class that was presentable out in public amongst other clans. As the dominate head roles of the clans, females were always shown to be well clothed in their best attire when attending meetings to discuss different affairs of all sorts that needed to be addressed. She would do the same for her mate and look her best.

As she was re-assembling her clothing and weaponry, movement from her mate caused her to look over to him. He was still asleep, but his hand had moved over to his stomach and a low grumble could be heard from her distance. It made her giggle at the cute action, but It made her suddenly realize that the male had not eaten and she even recalled that he had made the same sound before they had become one the night before.

_What a stubborn male he must be, never taking in nourishment to keep up his strength. There are many fine species that can be found here that can satisfy our hunger. _

This raised a question to her. How could he have survived this long without the proper intake of nutrients? She again looked over at her mate and gasped. Through his muscles, she could begin to see his bones as all of his fat had disappeared and only his muscles were left to take nourishment from. She then realized that he was possibly in a dangerous situation if he did not eat soon.

_He is a strange one indeed. _She grumbled.

She was also in need of food for her own stomach let out a low growl. It had been several hours since her last meal and she was out of supplies that she had carried from her ship. She would have to hunt for enough food for both of them, deeming that he was probably too weak to hunt. She also considered that their mating experience caused him to use his final reserves. It then made her very pleased and warm to think that even in hunger, he would satisfy her desires. She knew that he was intelligent enough to hunt for his own food, but now was not a proper time. Now she would provide for him…just this once.

_When he is strength returns, he shall hunt for me. _She thoughtfully declared.

Setting out she hopped back up to the trees and through the vast jungle. Her ship was several miles away, but grooming and reporting to her barer would have to wait just a bit longer. Her mate needed her and she would not lose him this early in both of their life spans. Finding animal prints was a much easier task for her. As she began to track different sets of prints from potential game that would be well nourishing. She switched her masks settings to infrared to scope out different heat signatures that could be lurking on the forest floor. Scanning below the tree lines was somewhat difficult, even for some of the most experienced yautja. Hunting different prey meant constant learning and re-learning, but there were particular things you could not learn. Like why mei'wadi would suddenly burrow underground.

They were a hardy species that could be described as having long elongated heads, slim bodies with six appendages and an armored skin that was very tough to penetrate. These animals were also had a very colossal size. She was one of the only ones to track and kill one these giant beasts, its head was one of prized trophies. But knowing the characteristics of one creature was not enough to know what each individual game would do. She had studied as many small game that roamed on this game preserve before she had even left _Home World. _

She needed to remember one in particular that was big enough to support her mate and herself. As she tried to recall from memories, her mask suddenly picked up on something that was very close. She aimed her mask at the creature and saw that the heat signature gave off the outline of a Di-va'kanda. This beast was one creature that was known to be none aggressive. It was a medium sized animal, with three large antlers protruding from its head and it also had six, hoofed legs. It's reptilian like skin was the shade of very deep indigo blue, with small patches of green that were dotted on its belly. This was a perfect game for food.

_He will be a good source of fuel for my mate and me. _

Silently, she stalked the kanda, only following down wind and several paces behind. These animals were famous for their sensitive hearing and sensing even the slightest change from the noises of the jungle. She would have to be very careful to not step on any loose twigs and out of its enhanced vision. She stalked the kanda into a small clearing that opened up the jungles thick brush and revealed a small meadow. She climbed a tree to take her best shot at the beast. Having only one firearm on her shoulder, she switched her masks dotted sites on and set them on the animal's hearts.

The animal did not even feel what came next. In a spit second, she released her gauntlets one shot. The sound did startle the Di-va'kanda and she starred down, as the beast took off leaping through thick foliage. She scoffed at herself because she usually dropped her prey dead on the spot.

_I must have been off by only a fraction. _She complained to herself.

Dropping down, dreadlocks flopping in the breeze, she bent down to scan the ground for blood remnants. Breathing out a breath of relief, she was quite pleased that there was a nice pool of purple ooze that was soaking into a small patch of clover. Another one of her masks features was needed to track the spots. Though she would have simply done it the traditional way, she was in a hurry to return and prepare the meal for her and her mate.

Her mask scanned the pools remnants, memorizing bits of DNA and hormonal signatures. Quickly finishing, she saw through her mask as the world switched from rich greens and yellows to deep blues and reds, like infrared, only keeping the blood highlighted as it picked up other traces of the same substance. As she followed the pools for a great distance she knew that she was becoming farther and farther from her mate, but she did not worry, he was safe were he had camped.

As she tracked her kill she recalled something about her mate that she had not even noticed the night before. Yes he was a young ooman, but his skills far exceeded his age. He was tactful at defensive measures and knew how to pick and choose safe and secure locations to rest. His camp was in small clearing, with just enough forest all around to keep him hidden from most intruders, it was also slightly down wind were no predators or other wildlife would pick up on his scent. As she thought about this, it gave her both a sense of giddiness of how intelligent he really was and pride on how he reacted and adapted to his environments.

The pools soon became more abundant and the prints that she also found became more prompt of obvious dizziness and fatigue, the kanda was surely dead only a few more feet. As she entered another clearing she was relieved to see the beast was down and no longer breathing. But what seemed odd was that it had collapsed next to two pieces of clothing. When she went over to examine the pieces of cloth, a strong guilt rose up and sent goose bumps down her spine. They were her mates extra pair of clothing that he had dropped…when she had tried to kill him the first time.

Shaking her head she refused to pain herself any more. That was in the past, she cared about this ooman now and if she truly did not care for him, then he would be gone. But he wasn't, he was her mate and she would never let anything else happen to him.

_He is mine and nothing will come to harm him. I will protect him. _She declared to herself possessively.

She retrieved the clothing and then set to field dressing the carcass. A di-va'kanda contained two stomachs, three hearts, and many ribs that were perfect pieces of meat to eat for protein. These beasts were also considered a delicacy too many yautja, not only because of their meat contents, but because of the rich flavor they had that did not require any sort of seasoning. One beast could feed a small clan with just enough left over for dehydrated pieces to eat later. After cleaning out the pieces that she wanted, looking up at the sky, the sun was already almost at the middle of the sky and midday was approaching quickly.

With all of the meat she could carry, she made haste and set out to return to her mate. She wanted to be there before he had awakened. Hopefully he hadn't yet. After a couple hours of trekking through timber and small rocky hills, she finally reached his camp and was relieved to see that he was still on the ground, bare and still sleeping the day away. Though she did not want him to wake, she could not help but role her eyes slightly annoyed at how much the male could sleep.

Male yautja could go several days with just a few hours of sleep each night. They were made to be hardy and sleeping only wasted their time when they could have been preparing their ships for voyages. Polishing their weapons and deciding on the next species to hunt was also a chore that males were also doing when not with their mates. She would have to learn more about ooman habits so she could quickly begin to break him of them.

_He sleeps too much…maybe I wore him out too much from our mating._

Dropping the meat next to a smoldered, ash pile. Finding fairly large logs for a nice fire was a bit of a challenge. But a downed tree that was close by had a perfectly rounded trunk that was great for large logs. It did not take too long to cut all that she needed.

Once the fire was roaring to life. She stabbed each piece of fresh kill and took the bare ends of the spears and shoved them into the ground and maneuvered them over her open oven. The day was already warm, but the fire added to the heat and caused her to briefly sweat.

As she was beginning to set and rest to wait for the meat to cook, shuffling and groaning caught her attention and she looked over to see that her mate was finally awakening.

* * *

For the first time in a while, he had gotten a well desired rest. Back on earth, his days were struggles and hardships leading to many sleepless nights. Being on a planet where an alien woman hunted and tried to kill you was not so great either. But when she called for him to be with her, it had somehow strangely relieved him of a lot of his built up stress, he was not alone anymore. He wanted to sleep longer and let his dreams take him to amazing fantasies, but something that smelled like burning oak caused him to lose his REM and he returned to the real world.

When he finally began to stir, his muscles felt strained and lower groin were sore and slightly beginning to cramp. It did not help that he had not eaten in so long and he was probably becoming dehydrated again. Turning off of his stomach he rolled over and sat up, stretching both his arms and legs with a several quick pops and afterwards rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

When his mind was finally fully awoken, he suddenly realized that a certain alien women was not next to him. Fear quickly shot through him as he thought about two cold wrist blades scrapping his jugular, but that thought vanished when he looked over and jumped in surprise as he turned to see her sitting by a very large fire and what looked to be a great feast.

Her mask, along with all of her weapons were in a small pile that sat by her. She was twirling one of her dreadlocks as she poked at the meat with a long stick.

Out of habit of not recognizing his own nude awareness, he came close and sat down just a few feet away from on the moist, dirt ground. Once he did though, his cheeks burst into scarlet shades as he tried to cover himself. It caused him to hear a low rumble that came from her.

_Is she laughing at me?_ He embarrassingly wondered.

But he could not help himself, a smile inched across his face and he could not help but join in with his own laughter. It had been a long time sense he had laughed so much at himself that his sides began to ache. His mind began to ease and for once he felt like he could relax if only for a little while. He learned back holding upper torso up with his hand while he looked up that sky and closed his eyes in peace. Something soft like cotton was suddenly on his stomach. He looked down in surprise to find his extra set of clothing in his lap. It stunned him and as his eyes grew wide and he could not help but look at the alien woman.

"D…did you find these?"He asked knowing that she at least understood him as she nodded.

Taking his clothing he got up and went to find some privacy to change away from her. Even if she was not embarrassed at seeing him naked, he was, it was after all humanly nature. He felt refreshed as the smooth fabric touched his skin. The cotton was not fresh, it did not stink either, it just felt good to have his clothing changed. With his other set of clothing being soaked for days from the jungles constant down pours of rain. It was like a luxury as he became humble to be wearing dry clothing again.

Soon he returned to his female companion and once again sat down a little ways from her. As he sat, he began to take in his surroundings. With fear of death at least gone for now, he was able to look all at the towering trees had thick olive green leaves. The sky was a darker shade of light blue compared to earth's atmosphere. The air was thicker and smelled of mixes of mildew and fresh cut grass. The fire that the woman had started also smelled of a dried oak, but mixed with cooking meat, scent that was powerful enough to make his stomach growl again and his mouth began to salivate.

He started to stare at the tender morsels, each piece was oozing mixes of fat and blood and the color was turning a rich brown as it became closer to being edible. Several minutes passed in silence. He had begun to twirl his fingers in awkwardness as he waited for the meat to finish. Sitting there next to a silent, tall woman that was physically very different from his species was not helping his nerves.

_I don't even know her name…does she even have a name? _He wondered.

He once again looked over at her and she looked at him. His cheeks began to redden and his face became warm. Did he dare ask?

"…you…stop…starring?" She blurted out.

Her voice made him jump! He was not expecting to hear her speak his language.

"Yo…you can talk!"

"Ooman…thinks…me…not…intelligent. Mates me… then…believes…me an animal." She scoffed.

"No, no not at all! I was just not expecting you to be able to talk using my language… I'm sorry."

He put his hand behind his head and began to rub his neck as he apologized. Her voice was lower than a human women, but it still carried a feminine tone. She was also growling, probably from his pure idiocy at her. Apologizing again, it grew silent.

"Thank you for last night, it was…something else entirely." He said as tried to break the air and mend his mistake.

"What…you…mean? It was…very…satisfying for me." She answered.

"…Yeah, that's what I meant." He agreed.

Silence seemed to keep coming again as he tried to think of something else to talk about.

"What's your name?"

The women seemed to soften up at the change of the conversation.

"I…am… Ta'Lah. Yours?"

"I'm Dale. Dale Branson." He answered.

He then asked another personal question.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" He asked.

"…What is…with…many questions?" She complained.

He thought for a moment. The reasons for his blatant questions were actually quite simple. It dealt with what his parents had taught him about all relationships. And since he skipped all of that and went straight to intimacy, this was a chance to even things out to par. He was also curious of who she was. Her species was famous for its tactical skills at stalking and killing, but other than that, there culture was a real mystery. If he learned from her, perhaps he could either get closer to her or find a way off this planet. It was sad to say that the other night was very confusing. On one hand, he wanted to go home and on the other, this was the first woman he had ever gotten so intimately close to. His mind was at war with decisions that were going to be made.

"My mother always told me that in order have a good relationship, you must ask questions about each other. To learn and grow even closer beyond just a physical relationship."

The alien nodded her head at his words.

"Your mother…very smart. Must know more…about mates…to fully trust…each other. I have…one older brother…and two…younger sisters.

"That's quite a large family. I only have my twin brother."

As the two began to loosen up as they began to find some common ground, the meat became ready to ingest. She pulled two of the spears down and passed one to him. He gladly accepted. His mouth began to salivate at the tender morsel before him. Though his mind was still very wary of what it would taste like. He looked over at his female companion and was befuddled to find her ravaging away at her own piece. She looked like she was enjoying it, but the way she was eating was very…aggressive so he figured it was safe. Tarring off a small piece, he threw the meat in his mouth and began to chew. His taste buds were suddenly sparking to life with so many different flavors and wonders.

It was naturally salty, with a hint of sweetness and also slightly bitter. It surprised him to find it so delightful and he could not help but begin to gorge himself to his fill. Each bite was better than the last, it was just as good as a cheeseburger was, only this was definitely healthier being full of proteins and appropriate fats. The spears began lower in number as the two ate until their bellies were completely full.

He belched a much needed satisfying burp. With his stomach full, he could not help but begin to feel drowsy. The world was starting to darken as sleep was close, his eyes became heavier and he fell back onto the ground and groaned at his full belly. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the woman stand and approached him. She lowered herself to the ground next to him and pulled him close to her chest. As his mind began to fade, he could feel her breasts meshed against his back. Her heartbeat lullaby consumed his remaining conscience and he finally fell asleep with her following.

As his mind began to once again wash away into the sea of his dreams. There was a very loud disturbance in his head and his body began to feel cool droplets pelt him. All too quickly he was thrown from his dreams and in to the reality of a jungle storm.

He opened his eyes to see that the alien woman had her face buried under his right arm. He could feel her beginning to shiver from the cold drops of rain. Looking up in the sky he found dark clouds and the sun had almost completely set with little light still peeking at the horizon. Though this planet was more of a tropical climate. Its weather systems were sporadic with constant changes of atmospheric pressure. This particular storm was heavy with ice cold rain, many lightning strikes and held a potential for hail. His mind quickly began to think of where a shelter would be for them. He had never gone any farther, but he did know that he was already on the side of a hill. If he continued up, he knew he could find some sort of cave for them to take shelter in for the night.

Getting up, already soaking, he pulled the woman to her feet. She really was a whole foot taller than he was because she blocked out the remaining light. He looked into her eyes only to see fear. He could not place why she would be afraid, but at the moment he needed to lead her to a safe place. Taking her hand and breaking into quick strides. The couple dashed to the nearest and driest shelter that they could find. The wind began to pick up and the lightning continued to boom. His ears were ringing because of how close the lightning was really striking.

It must have been minutes, but it felt like hours for them when they finally found a rocky cave to stay in for the night. Without a care about falling rocks, the couple burst into the dark cave. With only the echoes of their feet and the booms of the crackling lightning. He finally stopped to rest. He could not tell how far they had traveled, but his clothes were once again sopping wet. He was tired, cold and not particularly happy with the situation.

Letting his eyes quickly adjust to the darkness he once again looked over to check on his female companion. She was sitting down with arms wrapped around her chest as she tried to warm herself. He could not help but get a warm, protective feeling for her. So he sat close to her and wrapped his arms around her the best he could. It seemed to work, but a sudden burst of lightning caused her to jump in fear and burry her mandible face into his chest. It finally became clear to him that she was scared of lightning…but why?

"Are you afraid of lightning?" He asked.

This caused her to jump from his chest and bore her bright yellow eyes into him.

"I…not…afraid. I…don't…get…scared." She growled while also shivering.

Her answer was short and simple. But it was enough to make him realize further of why she was truly scared. Her species was usually wearing metallic armor and electric devices. If a bolt was to hit them, it would be an instant death because of the strong conductors. She would truly never admit this because of her pride. But this drove him to be even more protective of her.

"I promise I will not let anything happen to you." He declared.

Taking his hand behind her dread locked skull, he brought her crowned forehead to his own to affirm his declaration. She felt better with him so close. All of her fears seemed to melt away as he held her. She felt a warmness spread through her body as she became more attached to him and she now wanted to affirm her own pledge.

Pushing him away she backed a few steps from him. She wanted to show him how much she cared about him as well. She wanted to mate with him at this very moment. Their bodies were cold, but coming together as one flesh would cause a huge amount of warmth and pleasure for both of them. As he watched. She pulled off her fishnet wrap and then her leather bra. Her loin cloth made a squelching sound as the material tried to cling to her flesh. Once fully bare, a lightning bolt caused him to see her in all of her glory as the flash illuminated every curve of her body. She was like a goddess as she glowed. He then stood and removed his own clothing.

Under the spell of the heat of the moment. With the storm brewing outside, the two began to grow closer to each other until they both could feel each other's warm breaths. He could not contain his excitement any more. He placed his right hand on her cheek. She pushed into it, loving the contact. He did not stop, taking his other hand, he guided her face down to his level and took the lead on initiating what came next.

Before he would fully kiss her, he placed two soft kisses on each of her four mandibles, brushing each softly with his tongue. She shivered for a different reason now and she wanted more from him. Her mandibles opened and grappled onto his face. He felt her tongue asking for entrance, almost forcefully as it weaved across his lips. He opened his mouth and they began to explore each other's appendages. He massaged her long tongue as she scrapped against each of his teeth, from his molars to his canines. His tongue was suddenly beginning to be tickled as she purred into his mouth.

As the minutes passed and the storm continued to rage, they continued to ravage each other's mouths. But once they broke for air, she brought his ear close and whispered.

"I need…you…NOW."

She pulled away grabbing his hands and smashed them to her breasts. He quickly understood and started to press and roll her bust in smooth circular motions. Taking her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers, he began to stimulate them, multiplying her pleasure. She could not help but grab at his back and massage his shoulder blades as he continued his actions with her mounds. He needed to taste her flesh and so replaced his right hand with his mouth and began to suckle on her left breast. This sent a wave of excitement to her lower region and before he could repeat the same to her other, she pushed him away.

She was ready, she needed friction between her legs. All of her body needed to be warmed by the joining of their lower sexes. She wanted to be intimate with him in a position that would show that she would follow him until the end of time. This position was one that females would not do unless they were fully submitting to their life mates. She was his and he was hers and she wanted his chest on her back and as she held his weight as he gave her what she desired.

Turning over getting on her knees, she moved her rump to face his member and waited for him. He was more than glad to accept the new position to make love to her. Easing his ways to his knees, he inched his chest over her rear and on to her muscular back. He knew that her species was terrifyingly strong, but he did not want put all of his weight on her even if she could handle it. Keeping up some of his weight her settled on a spot just bellower her shoulder blades.

Aiming for her intimate tunnel. He pressed into her slowly from behind. Her purring increased as each inch penetrated her needing area. As he took a breath, he started to move. Beginning with a slower pace. This time he wanted to savior all of her flesh. She was so wonderfully silk like and he wanted to remember this feeling. Adding to her pleasure, he grabbed her breast and massaged them as he slowly thrusted.

Their bodies slowly began to grow warmer. Each wanted the other. He knew that he needed to start picking up his pace if he was going to heighten their pleasure. The new position was different, but the effect was just as strong as their other intimate position. Accelerating his thrusting, she began to let out low raspy breaths and he also could not help, but gasp out in pleasure.

Each thrust caused small jolts of pleasure that were quickly building into their finale. Taking it no more. His pace became quicker and slightly rough as his climax was only moments from approaching. Her rump was muscular and firm yet soft and it cushioned his meeting waist nicely.

The waves of pleasure was finally too much as both of them burst. He released his seed into her love tunnel and she flooded his member with her essence

They collapsed with him on top of her as they both gasped for much needed air. Exhaustion from making love quickly took effect as he rolled to her right side. She turned over so she was facing him. Entangling his small hands with her own and weaving their legs together, she pressed closely too him for his warmth. Before each fell into sleep. She grew close to his ear and whispered.

"I…love…you…my mate."

* * *

As the mated pair became engrossed in a deep slumber. Out in the jungle something else was high above the tree tops. Only if the lighting was right and the rain happened to hit certain spots would it be revealed that a cloaked ship was moving through the storm. Searching for something.

It did not take it very long before it found what it was looking for because of the heat signatures it produced. Without a second to lose, the ship launched a plasma torpedo and blew up its target.

The craft blew high in the sky, causing flames to light the night. It formed something close to a mushroom cloud as it went up in flames. The boom was loud enough that it was carried straight to the sleeping couple, but a chance lightning strike covered up most of the noise.

The cloaked ship moved away, but did not leave the planet. Inside, one of its passengers was checking its weaponry.

He polished his twin wrist blades. Making sure that no remnants of his last hunt remained. His shoulder gauntlet was full of cartridges. All of his blades were sharp and his mask was polished. His new hunt was about to begin and he could not but be pumped with adrenaline.

The ship had been tipped off, that a female from a pure blooded clan was coming to this planet to hunt. She was his next prey.

She would either submit to him or her head would make a fine trophy. In any case his hunt would be one his favorites and he was taking all of the necessary precautions to make sure that she would not stand a chance at all. A low eerie rumble came from his throat as he laughed.

"Wait for me. My prey"


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors note: I am sorry I did get a chapter out in July. I am trying to make this story into a monthly update so I can become consistent. I also want to mention that the cover art for this story is not my own. It was drawn by DrFaustus3. I have also put a link in if anyone wants to check out his deviantart page. I hope that I have not disappointed anyone so far. I know that so many question remain, I hope to begin to answer them soon with each new chapter. I know where I am going with this story and hope that all of you will be there till the end thanks. R&R enjoy.**

His mind was not at ease in any sense at all. The morning had come and he felt like he had begun to recover from his partial starvation, but he could not get the words that the alien woman had spoken to him out of his head. Those three words that were meant for the person that you were fully committed to spend the rest of your life with. "I love you." In the world that he had come from these words were thrown around like they were the normal phrase that you would tell your girlfriend/ boyfriend, which you had been with for only a week, after a phone call.

These words had become hollow in comparison to the true emotional and physical meaning that they used to hold long ago. Men and woman his age were constantly telling each other that they loved them and then only days later were splitting the sheets. Then they would find someone new and begin the whole process all over again. Humans had abused the power of this phrase for centuries believing that they truly understood what these precious words actually meant. It was quite rare to see a marriage that lasted more than 10 years. They would say "the love was gone" and then a quick divorce would follow behind. He and his twin brother were one of the rare and lucky few to see their parents live together in marriage for more than 20 years.

It seemed like so long ago now. His father had passed away two years ago and it left his mother heart broken. Not being able to keep the lifestyle that they were used to, his family of two had changed sceneries and moved to New York were his tragic predicament would change his life. His skills in combat and defenses were all he had left of his father now. One particular saying that his mother had told him began to ring in his head. "I loved your father, so much that all of the problems we have faced did not seem to matter. We had each other and that was enough. That is one thing I want you and your brother to remember. Love takes time to grow, it is tested, pulled and strangled to its limits, but if you truly care about the one that you love, nothing will ever tare you apart."

He suddenly woke up back in the cave he had taken shelter in with his alien companion. It was like a thirty second case of amnesia as he panicked and jumped to his feet to find himself naked. He was frantically looking around the small chamber not sure of what had happened, but a sudden movement from the woman caught his attention. As she moved and writhed, he stared down at her. Suddenly the past two nights came back to him, the words that she told him last night also came back. He tried to smile at her as she looked up at him in confusion. But deep in his mind, he was truly at a loss for what he felt.

Guilt was a powerful weapon when it was used right. He felt a sharp pain in his chest when he remembered his mother's words. The alien female had told him that she loved him, but they had only been together for only a few days. It confused him on why she would say these words to him so suddenly. He did not understand her thinking. One thing was certain though, he was already beginning to care about her more and more as the minutes passed. She was different, even as an incredibly dangerous alien species, from any other female that he had been with.

_I just hope she doesn't slice me before I confess to her. _He mused.

"Uh, good morning." He said to her.

Instead of greeting him back, the alien women rose and stretched her limbs. It caused his cheeks to warm as he watched her twist and turn her body in different ways that were not meant to be erotic, but they somehow were in his eyes. The women then approached and embraced him burying his face in her naked bosoms. She was warm and he could not help, but feel his cheeks become sensitive to the soft flesh as it melded around his face. The hug lasted far more than needed to be. He was hopelessly becoming aroused and it did not help that her heart beat pounded in such a strange rhythm.

She finally released and looked down at him.

"…Morning."

He felt a bit of relief wash over him. He greeted her once again and then set out to put his clothes back on, as did she. His grey pants were still heavily soaked, though his forest green shirt was surprisingly damp. His socks were dissatisfying, being that they were no longer cloud white, but instead a deep earthly brown. This was his second pair, he had already lost his shoes and the first pair of socks to quicksand though luckily escaping with his life. Never the less his feet needed protection so he swallowed his pride and put them back on as well.

Once fully clothed he heard a light clinking noise behind him. As he turned he met his female companion now fully clothed. She was once again wearing her leather brazier and fishnet covering along with her loin cloth. Her clothing style began to make him wonder about her race and their culture. For a species that was highly intelligent and skilled hunters, why would one want so little clothing on? Her fashion did not leave much to the imagination, but then again he was not complaining, it just made him think more about her.

He suddenly realized two things. One being that he was once again starring and that had opted her to once again glare and even growl at him. He could not help it that she was so strange, yet highly attractive in terms of figure and height.

"You…stop starring...quite annoying!" Ta'Lah growled.

He averted his gaze.

The second was that they were left defenseless against anything else that the jungle hid behind its massive trees and shrubs. They were sitting ducks without her high-tech weaponry and his combat knife. This sense of dread that something was going to happen and they would be powerless if they did not return to get their gear. It was hard to describe, but his head was beginning to give him a headache from anxiety while his stomach was sloshing and grumbling making him feel like he would retch at any moment. This ability was another _gift_ from his father. Being so paranoid to cover all areas of defense when stuck in hostile environments was drilled into his head.

"Um, I don't mean to rush the morning, but could we get back to camp and retrieve our weapons?"

"Why?" She grumbled. "No threat here…except me" She purred seductively.

"No, it's this feeling I get. It feels as if something really bad could happen at any moment." He explained.

"You are…strange ooman. Always…being too cautious. …Remind me…of a pup. Though…mates me like…a tender life mate." The alien women scoffed.

"…"

"Fine…we retrieve…arms."

It was a mix of emotions that he felt when finally she complied. Relief and confusion. He was relieved that she backed down on his plea. But confusion on why she was constantly bringing up their intimate relations like she was both complimenting and berating him at the same time.

The women took the lead and began to head back out into the shining rays. He followed, but his eyes were not yet adjusted to the lighting consequently momentarily blinding him. As he continued to walk, he suddenly ran into something rippled yet rough and fleshly. He opened his eyes only to see his female companions back. She had stopped without warning and had become silent.

"What…What is it?" He asked as he moved around to see what could have stopped her.

* * *

Bewilderment was not even close to how she felt at the moment. As she starred over some of the shorter tree tops, far off in the distance was a distinguishing smoke plumage that could only be her ship. She had kept it hidden under its cloaking technology, thinking that it was safe. Now her thoughts were proven wrong. Even from a distance she could tell that the craft was completely decimated. The flames were still hot and high, heat radiated off the wreckage.

_What could have done this? _She thought.

She was the most dangerous thing on this game preserve from being the yautja that she was. There were even few species in the galaxy that could compete with her species technology. All being too intellectually and physically weak to fight on their superior levels. This left her with only one other conclusion. One of her own kind could be out there now, hiding and waiting to strike. But why would her clan destroy one their own ships? Suddenly it hit her like a blade through her gut. Her species would never attack one of its own, but there was an exeption.

"ic'jit…" she whisperd.

"What?" Dale asked her.

"…Ic'jit…Bad blood." She explained. "Bad blood…here."

She wanted to explain further about the yautja that killed one of their own or had brought shame to their clans. These yautja had no honor or any restraint when it came to prey. They were true savages mutilating every limb leaving nothing, but blood and gore in their paths. They were exiled from the home planet and were cursed to scour the cosmos alone. Some ic'jits had come together to even form their own clan. The politics back on the home planet involved eradicating this bad blood clan before more damage and destruction could be caused. War was threating to erupt as the bad blooded stole females and spawned impure pups. Though her English was not the greatest, she could not explain any of this to her ooman mate.

"I need…my weapons." She declared.

"Are these bad bloods that dangerous?" Dale asked her.

"…Yes…very. You…go…get weapons. I hunt now."

"Wah…wait!" Her ooman called out as she took off down the graveled hill.

She left him behind, though in her heart she wanted to stay and protect him. Without her spear or wrist blades nor her mask, she would have to rely on her senses and hand to hand combative skills. Though she could not tell whether the bad blood was male or female at the moment, she would only need to catch a glimpse to confirm how to handle it. Leaping into the trees the first moment she had, she needed to use even more of her training to stalk the impure blooded. Staying high in the air was a basic yet effective way to not only travel at a quick pace, but also spy on what may lay beneath the tree lines on the forest floor.

She wanted to also her mate to be safe. Separating from him could give him the time to retrieve her weapons before something worse like he said would happen.

As she leaped she tried to stay as silent as she could. Besides keeping her breathing in check, dodging stray foliage and loose leaves was a hindrance that was needed to be taken fully into account. Keeping downwind was also a very tactical idea. Not only could a yautja's mask detect different heat and blood traces, it could also track certain kinds of hormones and pheromones. This ability was still limited due to the billions of different scents in the world. She was also wary of how close she could get before she was spotted. Her heat signature could be picked up from affar and if she was not careful she could end up being beheaded before she even realized what happened.

With her limit quickly approaching, she stopped on a thicker branch of a fairly large tree and squatted to rest. She took this time to asses her state of mind and the situation. She was a huntress who had become engrossed in an ooman male. Without even a second thought she berated herself for not even thinking about a lone bad blood coming to this planet. This hunt was supposed to end quickly, but it hadn't and she had fallen for an ooman and now she was paying the consequences. Though she did not regret her choice for mating with Dale, she did scold herself for not quickly taking him and leaving this planet.

After a few minutes of brewing over her predicament, she then refocused on how to deal with the situation. Without any of her weaponry she was at the mercy of the bad bloods own technologies. Running several different simulations in her head she came up with nothing that secured both her and her mates safety. She was a very skilled kv'var-de-si, but the advantages that the impure blood far exceeded her skills. If it lost its weapons she would have the advantage not only in pure strength, but experience and skill as well.

Suddenly a gauntlet shot was heard far off distance and brought her out of her thoughts. The same sound was repeated within a few seconds. It was loud enough that some of the birds in the nearby trees were startled. As all went quiet only the chirps and flapping of the fleeing birds was heard. A sudden sense of dread came over her at a realization. She had not thought about what the bad blood would actually hunt. Assuming she was the trophy had caused her to jump to conclusions too soon. She had not even considered that the one that she cared about now was a candidate as well.

With a new vigor she leaped in the direction of shots. She had promised herself that nothing would come to harm him just as he had promised her.

_I hope I am not too late!_

She quickened her pace.

* * *

Several minutes earlier…

He watched as she skidded down the hillside and disappeared into the jungle once again. Her words still echoing in his head. "…you…go…get weapons." These words were spoken to him and he did not know how to take them. On one side they merely meant for him to retrieve her blades out of necessity for protection. While on the other hand it sounded like she was commanding him like some sort of underlying.

"Couldn't we both have gone together?" He whined, though no one heard him.

Splitting up was a big mistake. Leaving your partner or platoons side would gash the strength in numbers. It weakened their walls all around both physically and mentally. Working together in extreme situations was something that he knew now more than ever was needed. It could have been two on one, though he did not really think he would be much of use to Ta'lah. It was more about the psychological game if the _bad blood_ believed that it was out matched it might back down in defeat. _She really should have stayed. _He thought.

From what he could tell a bad blood was the same species as her. A true predator to all living beings. He had already heard and seen what her race could do to someone. Imagining that, times whatever savage mind this _thing_ had only made his, already, cautious mind even more alert. Again from what he had observed from her, her race was one that loved to kill for the sport. Even though in his eyes hunting intelligent beings was wrong, he could see how this could be related to humans who hunted wild game for food or the sport. They even showed mercy to the weak and when their prey was backed into a corner, they would lower their own arms and fight to the death bare fisted if need be.

He could not imagine what kind of honor this bad blood had. If Ta'lah was what could be considered honorable, then this one was twice or three times more dangerous.

He wanted to stay where he was, all of his nerves were beginning to run on overdrive. As a human, fear was an emotion that could make or break a man. The psychologies behind fear involved the will of the person being pushed to new heights of new and unknown territories causing the mind to become wary of one's life state. To say he was scared was absurd, but leaving protective shelter when there was a killer out there was a whole new ballgame.

It was then that his words that he had said to Ta'lah came rushing back to him. _I will protect you_. He had stated to her. He could not keep his cheeks from reddening over something that was so cliché. He protect her. Impossible. She was far more superior to him in every way, he knew that well by now. Something inside him though kept coming back up to him. It kind of felt like male pride, the way a man would puff out his chest when someone was harassing his girlfriend or wife, but this was different. There was something else and it compelled him to keep his word. Even though he could not, he would try his best to keep his promise.

Sucking in a few deep breaths, revived with a new sense of responsibility he set out on his own mission to recover what Ta'lah would need. _I will face whatever comes at me…for her. _Though he still did not know why he would go to such lengths for the female.

Sliding down the side of the hill as quickly as he could, he reentered the jungle once again with a brisk jog. Picking up his pace, fresh air entered his nostrils. The scent of clean air mixed with rejuvenated foliage was somewhat of a relief to him, though it only lasted a few minutes before he refocused himself. The trees and large leafed bushes all looked to be a deeper shade of green because of the rain causing the shade to darken in spots while patches of light broke through in certain spots. He had to become more self-aware of his surroundings, anything from suspicious shadows to crinkling leaves could reveal the bad blood at any moment.

His campsite was actually not too far, he almost hoped that maybe Ta'lah would already be waiting. She would probably make some remark about him being an ooman male. Something like, "…you too…slow…ooman. I already…have weapons." She would say and then roll her eyes at him. _She is definitely something else. _He moment she could be a tender and protective women, while on other occasions it was like she was treating him like a child or some lower class being. He had to admit to himself he kind of liked how she put up different fronts only to be collapsed and re-assembled whenever she reacted to him. It only made him more intrigued to find out more about her.

Jumping over a fallen tree, he finally re-entered his campsite. It looked as if they had never left, except for the drenched grass floor, a black mud spot from the fires and several shiny metal pieces that still had a few droplets of water. He looked around to see if the alien women had come. She was nowhere to be seen. With this in mind he needed to gather the arms and return to the cave to wait. As he did so, a new feeling of alertness came to him. He took in his surrounds, but continued to grab the metal weapons while he sensed and searched.

The birds had gone silent and the bugs were no longer making any sounds. He slowly moved to get up, weapons in hand. As soon as he was fully standing a red triple dotted beam fell to the middle of his forehead.

"Uh…oh."

Suddenly two loud shots were fired.

* * *

Earlier that morning…

He had phased down into the jungle. The sun was slowly rising giving off a reddish orange color, yet he was eager to begin. His ship was not too far from the wreckage of the females own craft. He wanted to remain close to see if his prey would come to him rather than him going to her. His lust was already beginning to work into overdrive in anticipation. He had made this strategy believing that the female, pure blooded would find her destroyed ship and that would be when he would make his move.

Waiting was never one of his best traits. He actually had no patience at all when it came to stalking prey. He loved the rush of splattered blood, craved the sound of his blades ripping through flesh and needed to see the pained face of the dying. He did not care what species fell to his strength, he wanted to kill. He was what the pure blooded clans considered a true bad blood. They would say he had lost his mind to the blood lust of hunting for trophies. Even going so far as to slay one of his very own clan mates.

All of that was so many years ago. He was an outcast now, living off prey and hunting the best of the best with his new brethren. He had found his place sitting up high in the ranks of his new clan. Many of the others were very fascinated with his savageness. Some had even asked to learn from him, but he refused and even beat some of them to death for even asking. Then came the time when every yaujta male, pure or bad blooded, craved for a mate. He was no different and wanted one that would bare his young.

There were no females among the clan that he was with. The yautja that sat just above him as the leader had commanded that pure blooded females would be needed to continue their lineages. This was what brought him here to this game preserve. He had heard stories about this particular female. She was one of the few that hunted for her own prey. She was strong, stubborn and fool of pride and was going to be the ultimate challenge to conquer.

His muscles began to tense up with adrenaline pumping through his blood. His breathing became husky in short heavy gasps. The thoughts that he was having was causing his patience to whither even faster than usual. Sweat began drip off his body from the intense heat that he was feeling. Waiting was never for him, he needed to hunt.

Heading straight for the wreckage, he switched his masks vision to infrared. He was not necessarily seeking out the female's body heat. He was merely scanning the grounds for any traces that could lead him in the right direction. It surprisingly did not take long for his sensors to pick up something. The sample that was picked up gave him a very delightful sign. On one of the low hanging bushes, was where a certain chemical was picked up. His mask registered that the sample was a week old. This made him even more excited. The sample was the very essence of a female that was coming into rutting season.

_Though she knew that mating season was close, she still wanted to hunt. By now she is probably far off in a tree at wits end with herself. _He thought.

Pure blooded and bad blooded yautja would not tend to their desires. They thought it a lowly cause to indulge oneself in an act of lust for their selves. They would wait until both sexes were ready to invite one another to relieve these stresses in a more carnal way. This was most likely the reason why many males were injured. Females that were especially frustrated could possibly turn violent on their partners. Many stories were told about how males came out with broken ribs or legs. One case involved a males mating tooling being almost removed, though this was just a tale told to the unblooded to be wary of females.

This time spent in heat was also a time for a female to choose a mate that she would spend the rest of her life with. Yautja could mate with many different partners for years before they found what they wanted in a significant other. Once they did find their other half their sexual drives would undergo a small change in their mating pattern. Both male and female would be able to become sexually active whenever they desired each other. Then pups would soon follow until they both were too old to breath without help.

His chances were high, the female was young. He was actually about 30 years older than she was, thus making him a very attractable older male, if she did not resist him.

His mask quickly mapped out other traces of the females essence that lead east from her ship. Wasting no more seconds, he broke out into a sprint in the direction. The trail was easier to follow than he thought. He had come into a small clearing not too far and found an adequate sample on a tree branch. This sample was the same as the first, a week old. The samples then lead him deeper into the jungle, becoming more frequent and fresher until he finally found an enormous sample that was only two days old. It was behind a bush that led into another small clearing.

By then his own hormones were beginning to set in. The female was showing great signs that she was still close. He moved through the bush and was surprised at what he found next. He quickly discovered that he was in some sort of camp. Switching his mask back to his regular vision, he began to scour the small encampment. He found black mud from a dead fire that he determined had been started multiple times. The clues being the two separate shades of black that the mud was mixed into. A shine caught his eye to his right. He turned to find the very next pleasure chilling clue yet. There laid the female's weapons, a staff, double bladed wrist blades and a shoulder gauntlet.

With all these signs he spun around almost doing a 360 turn spying the tree tops to see if he could spot her. When he couldn't, he lowered his gaze back down in disappointment, but his mask alerted him of something new that was close. Switching his mask once again. He was led not far to find a new sample that was a disheartening sample. There was a small pool of ejaculated fluids that had seeped into the matted grass, were she must have mated. What made his mind stir was not the female's essence, but what was also traced by his mask.

This particular sample made him both confused and very enraged, but before he could contemplate farther, a noise that came from a set bushes not too far from him caused him to jump. Without thinking he hid himself close and he watched to see what came out. His rage began to skyrocket as it mixed with his sex depraved mind. From out the bushes appeared an ooman. It was male being only about six foot in height and a body build that was piss pore for warrior oomans. This only added to the truth that he had discovered. The female had mated this ooman and he would kill this male.

With thinking, he aimed his masks dotted lasers and fired two shots from his gauntlet.

* * *

Far off in another galaxy…

She was abruptly awoken from her sleep with a terrible headache and a stirring stomach. Crawling out of her bed, she covered herself with a red, thin, silk gown. Going quickly to the bathroom, she wretched into a medium sized bowl. Gasping for air, she shut her eyes tight and let the sweat drip down her cheeks. Her headache only felt worse now that her stomach was empty. Washing her mandibles of any bile, she looked at herself in the reflecting glass. Her face had become pale, her eyes were darkened and her dreadlocks were thick with oil.

She had become like this ever sense her eldest daughter had left for a hunt. She always worried about her young whenever they were away from her. This maternal sense was strong in all barers, but she felt it was stronger in herself. Her mate was also away on a hunt as well, leaving her alone on this big and cold ship. It just was not the same without her pups or her mate, she truly longed for them to return to her soon.

This incident though was something different. She only felt this way when one of her young was in deep trouble and needed help. All of her pups were grown now, but they still needed her, she probably needed them more. Trying to cool her head she entered the bathing showers and let cool droplets hit her naked form. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus her thoughts on her eldest daughter. Her intuition told her that Ta'lah was the one that was in trouble.

After bathing, she could bare it no more. She strolled quickly to the control room to check on her daughter's ship status. Within a couple of seconds after pressing a few keys. A hologram of her daughter's ship appeared and it sent a chill of horror down her spine at what she saw before her. The screen flashed in big red symbols.

DESTROYED.

Wasting no second sooner she returned to her bed chamber and went to a closet that was near the right side of her bed. Pressing another few buttons, the doors whistled open to reveal several different and elegant dresses and gowns. She was one of the political advisors of the High matron and thus needed different feminine attires that showed others of her high status among the clans council on their home world. All of these were quickly regarded as the closet opened wider and pressed the racks of clothing to the sides of the closet. What she needed was now revealed. Her old hunting armor and weaponry.

Few knew that she was one of the few huntresses of her species. When she had been chosen to become an advisor, she had even pleaded with the high matron to find another more qualified female. The high matron had simple laughed and then commanded that she would become one of her advisors. Refusing was not an option. She had swallowed her pride and conformed to what the high matron wanted of her. She had hid her past and put on a new, and at first, strange attire as she took her place among the clans council. This had been nearly 300 years ago.

Now she needed to dawn her armor again. Her pup needed her now and she would not wait any longer. As the metal clinked together it clasped and molded around her body. She shivered as the cold metal came into contact with her flesh. Her mask gasped as air was locked in. She made a few clicking noises as she adjusted to the weight of her armor. Dawning her weapons once again, though all of her emotions, something deep inside of her became comforted as she was reunited with her old self. It was time to hunt, whether for her pup or for the trash that dared hurt her own flesh blood.

_It all begins again. _She thought.


End file.
